Miss A Columnist

A lawyer by education, a yoga and fitness instructor by choice, and a volunteer because of passion, Mary Dawn Pugh has called New Orleans home for over a decade. She is the wife of an engineer and the mother of two boisterous little boys. When not chasing them, you may find her repainting or reupholstering furniture, playing tennis, doing yoga, or reading voraciously. She is excited to have joined a Mardi Gras krewe this year, and enjoys being a member of the Junior League of New Orleans and St. Charles Presbyterian Church.

Dominique’s On Magazine Host Woodlands Conservancy Fundraiser

Did you know you can hike in one of the region’s last stands of bottomland hardwood trees just over the Crescent City Connection? Woodlands Conservancy has two trails, free and open to the public, just over the bridge in Belle Chasse. The Upland Trail is a 1.1 mile hiking loop, while the Bottomland Trail provides about 6 miles of “parallel trails,” meaning one trail for horses and one trail for hikers.

If you’re both a hiking and history buff, you’ll be interested that these trails lead to a grouping of 10 World War II ammunition magazines. Keeping these trails in tip-top shape, of course, takes resources… as does the preservation of native and migratory bird habitat, restoration of woodlands and wetlands, and fighting invasive species of plant and animal.

Woodlands Conservancy (Image Credit: woodlandsconservancy.com)

To help with this important work, Dominique’s on Magazine will host a four-course meal benefitting the Woodlands Conservancy on September 22, 2013. Dominique’s is the newly renovated space at 4213 Magazine Street that Ian McNulty of Gambit calls “a sleek, white, intricately detailed modern space” that encompasses two floors and a courtyard, complete with its own “wall-mounted beds and hydroponic columns.”

Chef Dominique Macquet has a history of supporting the farm-to-table movement, and this dinner will celebrate the edible plants that grow naturally within the 800 acres of the Woodlands Trail and Park. Hors d’oeuvres will showcase local quail, duck, and shrimp, and the main course will be Wild Game Three Ways, featuring wild boar, venison, and duck. The paired wines hail from Trinchero Family Estates. The doors will open at 6p.m. with dinner will be served at 7p.m., and the silent auction will end at 8:15.

If you cannot make the fundraiser, but are interested in volunteering, upcoming work days will be held September 28, October 12, and October 26. Opportunities include office work, grounds maintenance, and other important activities. To read more about how to contribute, visit the website here.